Easily opened envelope

ABSTRACT

An easily opened envelope includes a cutting filament extending across at least one interior edge of the envelope. A tear line that terminates adjacent one end of the cutting filament is torn to expose and thereby permit the user to grasp the thus-exposed end of the cutting element. The edge of the envelope along which the cutting filament extends is severed by pulling the cutting filament along the edge, thereby to provide access to the interior of the envelope.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to envelopes, and moreparticularly to an envelope which can be easily opened.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Millions of envelopes are opened each day in homes and offices in theUnited States and around the world. Typically, the individual insertshis or her index finger or a letter opener under the closure or sealflap which has been previously sealed by an adhesive to the rear panelof the envelope. The index finger or letter opener is then pivotedupward to pry open the seal flap, thereby to allow access to theinterior of the envelope and the removal of its contents. It has longbeen recognized that this is an awkward procedure, which often requiresthe tearing or cutting of the seal flap or the body of the envelope.This in turn may cause damage to the envelope's contents or injury tothe individual.

In recognition of these drawbacks in envelope designs, the prior art isreplete with proposed designs of envelopes that purport to facilitatethe opening of the envelopes. As described, for example, in U.S. Pat.Nos. 6,716,150; 6,491,213; 5,791,566; 5,163,612; 4,470,511; and4,166,539, envelopes have been provided with tear strips, perforationsor other self-opening means to facilitate the opening of the envelope tofacilitate access to the contents of the envelope. The use of tearguides to provide easier, more controlled access to the envelope'scontents is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,161,958, whichdiscloses a cutting element secured between the upper and lower edges ofthe inner rear face of the envelope. Other envelope designs of interestare disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,956,727 and 3,392,908.

These prior art designs are, however, relatively complicated and thusrelatively expensive to fabricate, and/or are still difficult orinconvenient to use. There thus remains a need for an envelope which canbe economically manufactured and which can also be easily opened withoutinjury to the user or damage to the contents of the envelope.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To these ends, the envelope of the present invention includes a cuttingstrip in the form of an elongated, thin cutting filament that extendsalong a vertical or horizontal edge in the envelope interior and issecured at least at its opposite ends to the envelope at or near thatedge. In one embodiment of the invention herein described, the cuttingfilament extends along the fold line defined at the intersection of theclosure or seal flap and the rear panel of the envelope. At least oneperforated diagonal tear line terminates at its lower end adjacent oneend of the cutting filament so that when the tear strip is torn open theuser can easily grasp an exposed end of the cutting filament and thenpull the cutting filament along and through the edge along which itextends, thereby to easily and reliably sever that edge and permit readyaccess to the interior of the envelope. In another aspect of theinventions, a plurality of spaced tiny openings are provided along theedge along which the cutting filament extends to weaken it and thusfacilitate its severance as the cutting strip is passed through it.

To the accomplishment of the above and such further objects as mayhereinafter appear, the present invention relates to an easily openedenvelope, substantially as defined in the appended claims as consideredin conjunction with the following detailed description of a preferredembodiment thereof along with the accompanying drawings in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an elevation of an envelope form from which an envelopeaccording to one embodiment of the present invention can be made;

FIG. 2 is an elevation of an envelope of the present invention made fromthe form of FIG. 1 when it is closed and sealed;

FIG. 3 is an elevation of the envelope of FIG. 2 when it is open andunsealed;

FIG. 4 is an elevation of the envelope of FIG. 2 illustrating an initialstep in opening and unsealing the envelope;

FIG. 5 is an elevation of an envelope form for use in fabricating anenvelope according to a second embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 6 is an envelope made from the envelope form of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is an elevation of an envelope form for use in fabricating anenvelope according to a third embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 8 is an elevation of an envelope form for use in fabricating anenvelope according to a fourth embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 9 is an elevation of an envelope form for fabricating an envelopeaccording to a fifth embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

As illustrated in an exemplary embodiment of FIGS. 2 and 3, made fromthe form illustrated in FIG. 1, the envelope of the present inventiongenerally designated 10 includes a body having, as is conventional, arear panel 12 and a front panel 14, each of which has side edges andupper edges. Connected to the upper edge 16 of front panel 14 is aclosure flap or seal flap 18, which includes an adhesive along its lowerpart. The intersection of closure flap 18 and rear panel 12 defines afold line 20 at which closure flap 18 is folded and sealed to frontpanel 14 to seal the envelope and its contents, as shown in FIG. 2. Rearpanel 12 may, as conventional, include side adhesive flaps 22, 24, whichin the assembled envelope illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, are foldedinwards and secured by an adhesive to front panel 14.

In accordance with the present invention, a thin, elongated cuttingfilament or strip 26 is secured at least at its opposite ends by anysuitable adhesive to rear panel 12 near or at the location of the foldline 20, and extends, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, along substantially theentire length of the fold line. Cutting filament 26 may be of anyrelatively rigid and sharp material such as a thread made, for example,of a textile material or nylon; a plastic filament or a metallic wire. Adiagonal punched or perforated tear line 28 is formed at each end of theclosure flap 18. As seen best in FIGS. 1 and 3, tear lines 28 extenddiagonally from one side of closure flap 18 and terminate substantiallyat fold line 20 at a location slightly inward or adjacent one end ofcutting filament 26. A plurality of spaced tiny perforations ormicroholes 30 are preferably formed in closure flap 18 along the foldline 20.

To open the envelope, the user lifts either the left or right lowercorner of closure flap 18, depending on whether the user is right- orleft-handed, to tear the closure flap along one of the tear lines 28.This operation raises an upper corner 32 of closure flap 18 (FIG. 4),thereby to expose an end of cutting filament 26, as also shown in FIG.4. The user then holds the envelope in one hand, and with the thumb andforefinger of the other hand grasps this free end of the cuttingfilament 26 and pulls it first upwards and then toward the right, asviewed in FIG. 4, or to the left if the left-hand tear line weresevered. As the cutting filament 26 is pulled in the direction of thearrow 34 it acts against the closure flap 18 along the fold line 20 toeasily cut through the closure flap, which is weakened, and thus moreeasily severed from the body of the envelope as a result of theprovision of the microholes 30. In this manner, closure flap 18 iseasily and safely separated and removed from the envelope body, therebypermitting ready access to the contents of the envelope, as desired.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, inwhich elements corresponding to those of the first embodiment of FIGS.1-4 are identified by corresponding reference numerals, the cuttingfilament 26 a is secured and extends along a lower fold line 36 definedat the intersection of the lower edge of rear panel 12 and the upperedge of front panel 14. Perforated diagonal tear lines 28 a and 28 cextend respectively from the lower parts of the opposing side edges ofrear panel 12 and terminate at the lower fold line 36 inwardly of theopposing ends of cutting filament 26 a. Other diagonal tear lines 28 band 28 d extend from the upper parts of the opposing side edges of frontpanel 14 and also terminate at the fold line 36 at the terminations oftear lines 28 a and 28 c. As seen best in FIG. 6, the envelope may beopened by tearing the bottom of the envelope 10 a at one of the tearlines 28 a-d to expose one end of the cutting filament 26 a, which isthen pulled along the lower fold line 36 to sever it and provide accessto the interior of the envelope.

In the envelope 10 b illustrated in FIG. 7, the cutting filament 26 b issecured to and extends along the inner left edge (as viewed in FIG. 7)of rear panel 12. Diagonal tear lines 28 e and 28 g extend respectivelyfrom the upper and lower edges of rear panel 12 and terminate adjacentthe opposite ends of the cutting filament 26 b. Other diagonal tearlines 28 f and 28 h extend from the upper and lower ends of side flap 22and terminate adjacent the opposing ends of the cutting filament 26 b.

The envelope 10 c illustrated in FIG. 8 is similar to that of FIG. 7except that the cutting filament 26 c is secured to and extends alongthe right edge of rear panel 12. Tear holes 28 j and 28 k respectivelyextend from the upper and lower edges of rear panel 12 to the opposingends of the cutting filament 26 c. Diagonal tear lines 28 i and 281extend respectively from the upper and lower ends of side flap 24 toterminate adjacent the opposing ends of the cutting filament 26 c.

The envelope 10 d illustrated in FIG. 9 includes four cutting filaments26 d, 26 e, 26 f and 26 g, respectively secured to and extending alongthe opposing side and upper and lower edges of rear panel 12. Diagonaltear lines 28 m-28 t extend respectively from the outer edges of theclosure flap 18 and front panel 14 and from the upper and lower portionsof the opposing side edges of rear panel 12; all terminate adjacent orinwards of one of the opposite ends of their associated cutting filament26 d,26 e,26 f or 26 g.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing description of a presentlypreferred embodiments thereof that the present invention, as describedhereinabove, provides an envelope that is easily and safely opened. Itwill also be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art thatmodifications may be made to the embodiments specifically describedabove without necessarily departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention.

1. An en envelope comprising: a front panel and a rear panel each havinga lower edge, an upper edge and opposing side edges; an overlappingclosure flap foldably connected to the upper edge of said rear panel ata fold line and having an adhesive provided along its lower end portion;an elongated thin, relatively rigid cutting filament secured at at leastits opposite ends to the interior of the envelope and extending alongone of said upper or side edges of one of said front and rear panels,and a diagonal tear line that extends from one edge of one of said frontand rear panel or closure panel and terminating at its opposite end at alocation adjacent to one end of said cutting filament, whereby thetearing of said tear line exposes said one end of said cutting filamentand thus enables an individual to grasp said one of said cuttingfilament and to then move said cutting filament along said one edge,thereby to sever said one edge and provide access to the interior of theenvelope.
 2. The envelope of claim 1, in which said cutting filamentextends along and is secured at least at its ends to the upper edge ofsaid rear panel at said fold line.
 3. The envelope of claim 1, furthercomprising a second diagonal tear line having one end terminatingadjacent the opposite end of said cutting filament.
 4. The envelope ofclaim 2, in which said cutting filament extends along and is attached tosaid lower edge of said rear panel.
 5. The envelope of claim 4, in whichsaid cutting filament is secured to and extends along a side edge ofsaid rear panel.
 6. The envelope of claim 5, in which said cuttingfilament extends along at least one side edge and at least the upper orlower edge of said rear panel.
 7. The envelope of claim 1, furthercomprising a plurality of spaced tiny holes disposed along said at leastone edge.
 8. The envelope of claim 2, further comprising a plurality ofspaced tiny holes disposed along said fold line.
 9. The envelope ofclaim 1, in which said cutting filament is made of a yarn, plastic ormetal.